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Just as I suspected, the Pagonging has begun. Let’s hope it stops before it gets boring.

The aftermath of Kass’ terrible, horrible move last week unfolded with little to no strategizing throughout the episode. Not once did I suspect that Kass was flipping back, even when they began to allude to Spencer trying to pull a Yul move on her on the beach. Remember when Yul got Jonathan to flip? He came to him at the merge and showed him the idol. Spencer said something like that but then never showed it to Kass.

Now, it becomes a bit more difficult for Kass to flip back unless someone flips with her. With a 6-3 total, the three needs to become a five. And I have the best scenario for that to happen – and it doesn’t involve Kass. However, it does involve some maneuvering by Jeremiah and Jefra…so…big grain of salt. Maybe LJ can make this happen.

If LJ/Jefra link up and make a secret Final 3 deal with Jeremiah, they can team with Spencer/Tasha and flip the game. The two beauties need to look ahead and realize that once they slice it down to five – assuming Kass gets the usual turncoat quick exit once the numbers are safe – that they are down 3-2 to the former Brawns. The former Brainiacs don’t need to know about the pact, they’ll just take the lifeline and worry about the Final Five when they get there. The five vote for Kass – and boom – power shift again.

The preview implies that Pitbull is going to turn on Wooooooo!, but we all know how reliable the previews are each week. And in fact, I expect the Pagonging to continue with a target squarely on Jeremiah’s back next week. But, as we all know, Survivor can surprise you.

This season has proven the constant truth about Survivor – and most reality shows as a whole. The season is only as good as the casting, and in the luck when it comes to eliminations. How good would Survivor: Nicaragua have been if all the early exists weren’t interesting people? What about Amazing Race: All-Stars 1 if Romber didn’t mess up in Argentina? And so on.

This season is jam packed full of interesting personalities – and people who have come to play, and play hard. Even if their decision-making has been rather erratic. Pitbull is throwing anything and everything out there and hoping it sticks. Spencer can make a brilliant move – like taking over the reshuffled tribe, and then a bad move, by lashing out at Kass. I would be excited to see a redux of Cagayan – same cast – but with a season of experience under their belts and see what happens.

Now, let’s talk about the hidden idol. I am not a big fan of the luck of the draw clue on rewards. Spencer just got lucky to sit by the napkin with the clue. There should be some sort of earn to it. Not sloppy steak sauce. I get that Spencer had to try and sneak off to find it – and good for Wooooooo! to notice – but, man, he mangled that, didn’t he?

I think Wooooooo! guessed right and good for him. And his ninja stealth mode was pretty funny, leading to a fairly awkward moment with Spencer. Umm….what you doing? Nothing. And then a cartoonish sprint. Love it.

Spencer…why oh why did you leave the note outside your pants? If I know my Survivor rules, things cannot be taken from you if they are in your clothes/bag. They can be seen, but not taken. Since it was outside his pants – free game. Bad unforced error there. Although I loved Jefra’s “well, go get it” moment to Wooooo! and crew. I loved how she wasn’t getting up to help, but those other idiots needed to.

And then he made up for it with one of the best “cool as a cucumber” moments as he stood near Kass chit chatting as he stood next to the hidden idol. Great scene. Now, he read the note with the idol and said it was just the same old regular idol, but I recall Probst saying before the season began that this idol would have the same power as the ones once owned by Terry and Yul. That you could play them AFTER the votes were read. That’s huge. Either Spencer didn’t get that – or Probst hasn’t revealed it. I couldn’t understand it from the quick note reading.

Anyway, Morganna goes and really, was she really still there? While I’ll miss, gulp, what she brought to the show, she really made no impact whatsoever. She had some nice quotes about being the prettiest one there, but yeah, nothing really important. She was an easy vote and good strategizing by Pitbull and his team. He gave Kass the same power with the vote that Spencer/Tasha were giving Sarah last week, the same power that pissed off Kass in the first place. Oh sweet irony.

As for the immunity challenge – you know how much I love endurance challenges. Just don’t over do it with them – because then they’ll lose their special nature. I still say the endurance challenge should be the first merge challenge, and the final challenge to make the end. Maybe one in the team competition stage.

But, great, another winning episode. Perhaps Survivor will finally win an Emmy this year…or even get nominated.

Treemail Top 10
1 – I like Spencer, but he needs to lay off making estrogen jokes. As a man, and one older than you are Spence, trust me on this one.
2 – If Kass thinks she had a triple win from that tribal – she’s nuts. The funny thing is, she did get triple reward – her choice for vote out, and two idols getting played. But she had nothing to do with the idols – that was just Pitbull’s gamble, and LJ’s baffling strategy. Her vote had nothing to do with either – unless she talked them into it, which we didn’t see.
3 – Between Kass comparing Morganna to a pissing dog, and Pitbull making piss jokes…we are way over our piss reference quota.
4 – Piss Reference Quota is my new retro metal band, by the way.
5 – At least you can say that Morganna knows she is saying obnoxious things as she says them. Sometimes that’s the best thing you can say about someone – she is self-aware in her over inflated sense of self.
6 – Reward Challenge – Nice obstacles, chest drag (not Morganna), and puzzle combo. Random draw for teams put Spencer/Jefra/Morganna/LJ/Jeremiah vs. Woooooo!/Pitbull/Trish/Tasha/Kass. It was fairly close throughout but LJ/Spencer smoked Woooooo!/Kass on the puzzle. That’s another big puzzle performance from Pretty Boy LJ. Just saying.
7 – I will not continue the product placement madness. But man, do I want a Bloomin’ Onion now.
8 – I would like to see a blog post about Spencer’s theory of “normal food stomach” vs. “dessert stomach.” And a Top Chef challenge to be designed around it.
9 – As for the Immunity Challenge – mad props to Spencer and Tasha for going about 90 minutes on their toes. Heck, even Probst was impressed. If you have calves, this challenge is for you. You could tell that Spencer was super excited to win this challenge. He is a true fan.
10 – Best part of the TC – Morganna’s line about if people got to choose between being ugly and cute, they would always choose cute. And she’s right. But that’s not really Sophie’s Choice there, is it? It’s a bad question in Would You Rather too.